Election Commission seeks more storage space

Anderson County Election Commission is in need of storage space for current voting machines — and new ones expected late this year.

by Donna Smith/Staff

Anderson County Election Commission is in need of storage space for current voting machines — and new ones expected late this year.

Election Commission administrator Mark Stephens asked for direction from the County Commission’s Operations Committee earlier this week. The Election Commission has been looking at options, he said, and election commissioners would like to have a building constructed rather than rent a storage facility.

Operations Committee members suggested several other options and told Stephens to report back to the Committee in another 30 days.

“We have been sort of shifted around,” said Stephens, as he detailed the various locations the Election Commission has used to store its voting machines, which currently number 85. The machines have been stored at the voting precinct locations, the Robert L. Jolley County Administration Building across from the Courthouse, downstairs in the Courthouse, at Fairview Elementary School, and at Emory Valley Center in Oak Ridge.

Most recently, the Election Commission made room for the Anderson County Health Department’s Dental Clinic at the Dickens Building in Oak Ridge, formerly known as Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center. It’s a building that also houses various Oak Ridge satellite offices for county government, along with Emory Valley Center classes.

Stephens said the county asked the Election Commission to share the space with the Dental Clinic but because of the sensitivity of some information the Election Commission stored there, it decided to give their total space at EVC to the Dental Clinic.

Stephens said renting about 1,500-square feet of space that is temperature controlled and is in close proximity to the Courthouse is expected to cost about $20,000 a year. The Election Commission, he said, would rather sink that money into a property that it will end up owning and have a building that will include the Election Commission offices and storage together.

He said property is available near the old Anderson County Community Action Commission building site, also known as the old jail site. It’s near the Courthouse and next to the county schools’ technology building.

Stephens said county Budget Director Chris Phillips told him money is still available from the county’s previous bond issuance. However commissioners and Phillips pointed out at the meeting that the money is slated for contingency funds for the construction of the new jail pod and expansion, so that project will have to be completed before the available funds will be known.

Asked about the new voting machines, Stephens said the Election Commission doesn’t have enough of the current machines, some of them are not functioning, and voters have never “gravitated” to the current machines and still have questions and problems every voting period.

He said most voters want a paper trail of their vote, too.

The new machines will be paid for by the state, he said, at a cost of about $400,000 to $500,000.

But Stephens said there will be no need for new machines if the storage space isn’t available. Currently the machines and other items the Election Commission is storing are on the first floor of the Courthouse, and it’s not really appropriate.

Commissioners offered several suggestions including other buildings for rent in the county, and swapping offices with the county planning and zoning office.